Fan arrangement for heat exchange devices



Jan. 30, 1945. J. BRISKIN ETAL 2,363,513

FAN ARRANGEMENT FOR HEAT EXCHANGE DEVICES Filed we, 1942 a Sheets-Sheet 1 .m I I 2 I M g zzaz v rw eya" Jan. 30, 1945. J; BR|sK|N ETAL 2,368,518

FAN ARRANGEMENT FOR HEAT EXCHANGE DEVICES Filed Aug. 28, 1942 a Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan.'30, 1945. BR|$K|N ETAL 2,368,518

FAN ARRANGEMENT FOR HEAT EXCHANGE DEVICES Filed Aug. 28, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet s Patented Jan. e0, 1945 FAN ARRANGEMENT FOR HEAT EXCHANGE DEVICES Jack Briskin m William Prosk, Chicago, 111., assignors' to Excel Auto Radiator Company,

Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware 7 Application August 28, 1942, Serial No. 456,474

Claims. (01. 230-133) This invention relates to heat exchange devices f a type adapted for use as automobile heaters by which a stream'of heated air may be forced out into the body of the car and a second stream of heated air may be directed through a suitable duct to a different point such as to the windshield of the car for defrosting purposes. It is the object of the invention to provide a new and improved form and arrangement of parts for establishing and handling two such streams of heated air.

In our preferred arrangement, a single motor and fan are employed for forcing air through. a radiator core which is provided with hot water from the cooling system of the car motor, the fan being of the well-known axial delivery type and located to the rear of the radiator so as to force air forwardlythrough the core. Our improved arrangement comprises auxiliary housing .means at the peripheral edge face of the fan for at least a portion of the distance about the fan for taking air radially therefrom, such housing means having a wall portion extending inwardly a short distance on both sides of the path of the fan. We collect a substantial portion of the air handled by the fan which is delivered outwardly by centrifugal force, and convey it from the fan along a duct leading generally in a tangential direction from the housing means. We have found in practice that the use of the auxiliary housing means does not seriously interfere with the production of a forwardly directed stream of air which is heated in the usual manner by its vided. in the duct leading from the auxiliary housing means and as usual closure means is provided for the front face of a casing surrounding the radiator core. By the use of the valve and the front closure means, we are enabledto control the two streams of air to the extent of shutting off either of them completely if desired. 7

It is another object of the invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which the several objects have been attained are illustrated in' the accompanying drawings, in whiching our improved construction, being taken substantially at the line ll of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the heater of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 isa rear face view of the heater of Fig, 1; 'Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken, substantially at the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view' through the heaterlooking. backwardly toward the auxiliary housing means and the motor;

Fig. 6 is afrontface view of the frame plate by. which the motor and the auxiliary housing means are mounted in position; and 1 Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on an enlarged scale at the line 'l of Fig. 6,'and showing in dotted lines the motor in position on the structure.

7 Referring now to the several figures of the drawings, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, l0 indicates a radiator core comprising headers II and I2 connected together by a series of flat tubes l3 which are provided with thin metal plates or fins l4, Theheaders H and 12 are provided-with pipes l5 and I6 for carrying hot water to and from the core from any suitable source such as Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the preferred form of an automobile heater embodythe cooling system of an automobile the apparatus is mounted. I

About the core Hi, we have provided a housing I! having a large central opening in its front face in which are pivotally mounted a plurality of doors 18 by which the opening may be completely closed manually by the operator. At its rear upon which edge, the housing .,member I1 is provided with a pipes l5 and It, the bracket having openings 23 therethrough for enabling suitable connection thereto, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

At a short distance to the rear of the core 10, we have provided a heavy frame plate 24 rigidly connected with the bracket 2| by means of angles 25, as is best shown in Fig. 2. Upon the plate 24,

opening 28 in the plate 24. Upon the motor shaft 21 closely adjacent to the core HLwe have mounted a fan 29 of the well-known axial de livery typ the arrangement being such that an electric motor 26 is rigidly mounted with its shaft 21 extending forwardly through a suitable,

29, a stream of heated air is delivered past the closure members I8 into the body of the car upon which the device is mounted, as is well understood in connection with devices of this type.

When it is desired that a defroster be employed in connection with the automobile heater, suitable auxiliary mechanism is applied in operative position with respect to the fan 29. The pre ferred means for effecting defrosting comprises an auxiliary housing in the form of a channel, as is best shown in Fig. 4, such channel being positioned so as to receive the outer end' portions of the blades of the fan as the fan rotates. best shown in Fig. 4, the web portion of the channel 30is curved so as to diverge outwardly with respect to the path of the outer ends of the fan blades. The arrangement is such that when the fan is driven in counterclockwise direction in Fig. 4, a stream of air is caused to move toward the right along the channel 39 in said figure. For expediting the establishment of this auxiliary stream of air, the front wall portion of the channel extends inwardly a short distance opposite the front face of the fan, such front wall ortion of the channel being provided in the arrangement shown with a series of small openings 3| therethrough. The provision of the small openings 3| serves to decrease the air friction in the channel and consequently the load on the motor 26, particularly when the valve 33, hereinafter mentioned, is closed. At its outer end, the channel 30 is given the form of a duct which is indicated by the numeral 32 so as to be adapted to carry the auxiliary stream of air to a windshield or to any other point as desired,

Within the duct 32, we have provided a valve 33 which is adapted to be turned upwardly into the position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4 for closing the duct. For this purpose, the valve 33 is movably mounted upon a rock shaft 34 provided upon its outer end with a head or knob 35 by which the position of the valve can be readily controlled. As is clearly shown in Fig. 1, the rock shaft 34 is provided upon its rear end portion with a coiled spring 36 for assisting in controlling the position of the valve.

We have found in practice that when the motor 26 is in operation, with the core ill heated by the action of a supply of hot water or the like, a stream of heated air may be directed forwardly past the closure members 18 while at the same time a stream of heated air is forced outwardly laterally with respect to the fan 29 through the channel 30 and the duct 32. We have found in the use of our improved device that the heating effect upon the auxiliary stream of air delivered through the duct 32 is sufiicient for causing a substantial defrosting effect. The amount of the air delivered through the duct 32 and the temperature of such air can be controlledmore or less by the manipulation of the closure members I8 and the valve 33. With the valve 33 wide open as shown in solid lines in Fig. 4 and with the closure members it closed tightly at the front of As is While we prefer to employ the form and arrangement of parts as shown and described, the invention is not to be limited thereto except so far as the claims may be so limited, it being understood that changes might well be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of our invention.

, We claim:

1. In a device of the type described, the combination of a fan of the axial delivery type, means for rotating said fan for driving a stream of air forwardly axially therefrom, and housing means comprising a wall portion extending inwardly a short distance opposite to the front face of the fan and provided with a series of openings through'said wall portion and arranged for taking a stream of air laterally from the fan, the

major portion of the periphery of said fan being not enclosed by said housing means.

2. In a device of the type described, the combination of a fan of the axial delivery type, means for rotating said fan for driving a stream of air forwardly axially therefrom, and housing means removably secured in position opposite to the edge face of the fan for only a portion of the distance about the fan adapted when in position to take a stream of air laterally from the fan, said housing means comprising an are shaped channel, the connecting portion of which is radially spaced from the tips of the blades of said fan and diverges outwardly from the path thereof, and the side walls of which extend inwardly and overlap said tips both at the front and the rear thereof.

3. In a device of the type described, the combination of a fan of the axial delivery type, means for rotating said fan for driving a stream of air forwardly axially therefrom, housingmeans in the form of a channel into which the fan extends at its edge portion arranged for taking a stream of air laterally from the fan, the forward wall of said channel being perforated and being arcshaped, a duct connected with the outer end portion of said channel, and a valve in said duct for controlling the passage of air therethrough.

4. In a device of the type described, the combination of a fan of the axial delivery type, means for rotating said fan for driving a stream of air forwardly axially therefrom, a plate disposed behind said fan to block the axial flow of air to said fan over a sector of less than 180, and a trough associated with said plate and arranged circumferentially about a corresponding portion of the periphery of the fan blades to collect and divert a portion of the outward air flow caused by said blades into a substantially unidirectional blast laterally of said blades,

5. In a device of the type described, the combination of a fan of the axial delivery type, means for rotating said fan for driving a stream of air forwardly axially therefrom, and housing means secured in position opposite to the edge face of the fan for only a portion of the distance about the fan and adapted to take a stream of air laterally from the fan, said housing means comprising an arc-shaped channel having a connecting portion which is radially spaced from the tips of the blades of said fan and having side Walls which extend inwardly and overlap said tips both at the 

